


Once Forgotten

by ArgentSleeper



Series: Episode AUs [7]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Because he's really a nice boy who just wants to help, Concussions, Episode Tag, Episode: s05e09 With All My Heart, Fix-It, Guilty Arthur, Hurt Merlin, M/M, Mordred may be doing magic that no one is noticing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-12
Updated: 2014-10-12
Packaged: 2018-02-20 23:03:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2446382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArgentSleeper/pseuds/ArgentSleeper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin fell off a cliff, got thrown by Morgana, performed powerful magic to age himself and save Gwen, and his thanks?  To be nearly left behind by the man he did it all for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Once Forgotten

**Author's Note:**

> BECAUSE MOST OF THIS EPISODE MADE ME SO ANGRY BUT ESPECIALLY THE ENDING ARRGGGHHH
> 
> Series five Arthur would not have forgotten Merlin like that. That's something beginning series one Arthur _might_ do, but it was just a stupid excuse for a gag to make series five Arthur say that.
> 
> Points if you can guess where Mordred does magic because he's a nice person who didn't deserve his plotline.

 

 

_Once you are forgotten_  
 _Twice you are removed_  
 _My angels all have fallen_  
 _My vengeance now ensued_

-Anonymous

 

 

 

 

“ _You forgot me!_ ” Merlin shrieked, appearing over the hill.

They hadn’t gone far, just out of eyesight of the Dolma. It hadn’t seemed like she was going to give Merlin back until it looked like they were leaving, but Arthur didn’t dare go too far in case she reneged her promise and decided to try and keep him.

“We didn’t _forget_ you,” Arthur protested, rising from the boulder he’d been using for a seat, feeling the guilty blush spread over his cheeks even as he said it.

“You did too! She told me! She had to _remind you_! You were going to leave me here!”

“Merlin, you know we never would have left you behind,” Guinevere promised soothingly, coming forward to place a gentle hand on Merlin’s arm.

Merlin drew her in for a quick hug and kissed her cheek, mumbling a quick “Glad to have you back,” before drawing away again and glaring at Arthur. “You _forgot_ me,” he repeated, then picked up one of the satchels and stormed away.

“Merlin-” Arthur made to go after him, but Guinevere stopped him.

“Let him calm down. You can apologize later. We all can.”

Arthur sighed, but accepted she was probably right. Merlin would just continue raging if Arthur tried to talk to him now. Better to wait for him to cool off.

Arthur hadn’t _meant_ to forget Merlin. He was just so excited about breaking the curse on Guinevere. He’d been terrified it wouldn’t work, that he would lose the woman who had agreed to be his queen and rule at his side, to marry him even knowing he loved another man. But then it had, and everything seemed to be back to normal.

Until now.

Guinevere was the first to be allowed to talk to Merlin. That made sense, even to Arthur. She’d been under a curse and rendered unconscious for the trip there; she hadn’t even known Merlin was supposed to be with them when they had made to leave. That wasn’t the reason for the hastily wiped away tears on her cheeks, though, as the two walked ahead of the group, heads bowed together. Arthur thought about the events of the last month. Guinevere might have been trying to kill him at Morgana’s behest, but Merlin had taken the brunt of a good deal of her treachery.

Mordred tried next, as they made camp for the night in the same cave as before, the two of them going off to search for firewood. He had a more difficult time of it, but then Merlin had never seemed to like much Mordred in the first place. But eventually, after a long session of lowered voices, he too received a terse nod of forgiveness, or at least temporary truce.

That just left Arthur.

He waited to approach until Guinevere and Mordred had gone to sleep, offering to stay up and take the watch. Merlin lay in his bedroll, eyes open and staring through the fire, jaw tight. Arthur sat down beside him. “So,” he said. Merlin didn’t twitch in response. “Guinevere’s well again.”

“I’m happy for you, sire,” Merlin replied flatly through gritted teeth.

“I never did thank you for cluing me into the curse upon her. Thank you. And for making the trip with me to heal her.”

Merlin gave a half-shrug, face still neutral. “You’re welcome, sire.”

Arthur sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “I’m sorry, Merlin. Really, I am. I was distracted; I didn’t mean to forget about you, it just happened.” Merlin huffed out a soundless snort. “You know I would never have left you there. I would have come back for you.”

Merlin sat up abruptly. “You shouldn’t have had to _come back_ ,” he snapped, eyes filled to the brim with hurt. “I should have been with you from the start. You didn’t even notice I didn’t return with the Dolma in the first place. _Mordred_ had to point it out to you. And then when it was all said and done, you would have left me there without a single thought.”

Merlin made to stand and Arthur reached out frantically to grab his hand. His voice cracked as he begged, “I’m sorry, I’m _so, so sorry_ , Merlin. I swear, I will never leave you behind again.”

But Merlin just shook him off, tears shining in his eyes. “I’d like to believe that, Arthur. After ten years, I’d like to believe that I mean enough to you to rate that. But so far I’m lacking in proof to back it up.” With that he stalked off.

For a moment Arthur was struck dumb, frozen where he was. _Of course_ Merlin meant enough to him. The man wouldn’t have been sharing his bed with him for the last five of those ten years if he didn’t. How could Merlin ever think otherwise? How could he have _allowed_ Merlin to get to the point where he would think otherwise?

Had he saved Guinevere only to lose Merlin?

Arthur scrambled to his feet and rushed after him. This time he would not let Merlin slip through his fingers. “Merlin?” he called into the night. “Merlin?”

There was no response, but he hadn’t really expected one. Merlin was an expert sulker. He wouldn’t come back on his own until he had stewed to the boiling point again, ready to hash it out some more. But that would just be more time in which he thought Arthur didn’t care, and the king couldn’t have that.

Finally he spotted the shadow of a figure leaning against a boulder. Arthur breathed a sigh of relief and hurried over to him. Merlin sat with his knees drawn up to his chest, head sunk in his arms. Arthur lowered himself next him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and buried his nose into Merlin’s hair.  “Merlin? Merlin, love, I’m sorry that I hurt you so much. I promise I’ll get better. Please forgive me.”

Arthur waited for either another accusation or a kiss of pardon, but instead Merlin answered with a broken whimper.

“Merlin? Love, are you okay?”

Merlin gave a tiny shake of his head. Arthur noticed now that his body was tense and shaking, and it didn’t seem to be from pent up rage. “Headache,” he choked out. “Bad.”

“How long has this been going on?”

Merlin shrugged. “This morning? Just worse now.”

Arthur heartbeat picked up a notch. “You hit your head quite badly yesterday. You probably have a concussion. Come on back inside; you need to rest.”

“I can’t,” he moaned softly. “Too dizzy to stand.”

“Then I’ll just have to carry you.” Arthur wrapped his arms around Merlin’s back and legs and gently lifted him, trying not to let himself break at the sound of the whimpers the movement elicited. “Shh, it’ll be okay. It’ll all be better in the morning.” He carried his friend back into the cave and tucked him in his bedroll, smoothing Merlin’s hair back from his eyes. Arthur dug around in their bags to find one of the potions Gaius had packed for them. Gently he tipped it down Merlin’s throat. “That’s it, go to sleep now. I’m staying right here to watch over you.”

It took ages before Merlin’s breathing finally evened out. Arthur remained at his side, fingers carding gently through his hair and massaging the scalp gently. “I’m not going to leave you again, Merlin. I promise.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Merlin was no better by morning. Arthur looked down at him worriedly where he lay, gripping his head in pain. Guinevere had taken over massaging his neck and head, trying to help him relax.

“Is it even safe for him to travel, sire?” Mordred asked.

Arthur wasn’t sure of that himself. “Probably not. But we need to get him back to Gaius. It’s a full day’s ride from here, and a few hours at least until we make it back to the horses. Do you think you can walk a bit now, Merlin?”

Merlin didn’t answer for a moment. Then he nodded slowly. “I… I can try.”

Arthur and Mordred helped him to his feet, then helped him sling an arm around Arthur’s shoulder for support. Guinevere and Mordred grabbed the bags. “Leave whatever’s not necessary. I’d rather sacrifice objects for speed.”

Speed was difficult, even leaving three quarters of their bags behind. Merlin tired quickly and became more and more snappish as the day went on, often devolving into brooding silences that had Arthur panicking and checking every few seconds that he was still awake and aware. By the time they made it the horses, Arthur thought he might collapse himself from the weight of anxiety on his chest.

Merlin refused to ride with him despite it being obvious he was so unsteady he would slip off the horse within minutes, insisting it was beneath the king’s dignity to ride with his servant.

“Oh for heaven’s sake, Merlin!” Arthur snapped, at his wit’s end. “In that case it’s probably beneath my dignity to sleep with my servant as well, but you don’t see that stopping me!” He ignored the uncomfortable blushes of his companions. “So just get on the damn horse.”

In the end Merlin only agreed to share with Guinevere. Arthur wanted to argue about her being the _queen_ , Merlin, but a look from his wife stopped him. He nodded tersely at her unspoken plea. He should be grateful Merlin was accepting any help at all.

“Try and sleep, Merlin,” Arthur said softly instead, making sure his friend was secure in the saddle. “We’ll be home soon.”

They didn’t have any more tonic to give him, so Arthur wasn’t sure Merlin would be _able_ to sleep through the pain of his head, but barely a half an hour after they set off, the man finally slackened back against Guinevere. Arthur breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn’t bear to hear the whimpers of agony one moment longer, knowing there was nothing he could do about it. The looks on the others’ faces said the same.

Arthur nearly cheered as Camelot came into view. As soon as they entered the courtyard he sent Guinevere to ready Gaius, carefully pulling Merlin off the horse and enlisting Mordred’s help to carry him to the king’s chambers. They laid him out on the bed, then set about changing him into night clothes while they waited for the physician.

Gaius swept into the room with his medicine bag swinging on his shoulder, Guinevere close behind. He picked out a few bottles from his supplies and brought them to the servant’s bedside. Merlin was slowly stirring.

“Gwen tells me he took a tumble?” he asked, gently feeling about on Merlin’s head for bumps and cuts.

“He fell off a cliff,” Arthur admitted, wincing at the memory. It had been his fault Merlin had fallen in the first place. If he hadn’t insisted on loading him down with so many bags… “He was unconscious for a while before we managed to wake him.”

Gaius unstoppered one of the bottles and gently tipped it into Merlin’s mouth. He drank it gratefully, whining a bit when no more came out. “He likely has suffered some bleeding and swelling in his brain then. Add to that the stress and exhaustion of the trip to save the queen, I wager he’ll be struggling for a while.” He gave Merlin the other bottle to drink as well, and quickly his eyes drooped close again. “He needs rest. And I mean rest. No chores, no quests, no nothing. I don’t even want him rising from bed unless the castle is burning down around our ears, and even then this very room had better be up in flames.”

Arthur took that for the chastisement it was. “And he will get it. I’ll see to it another servant takes over his work for however long you see fit.”

Gaius set down a row of bottles on the stand next to the bed. “Give him the brown one for the pain when he awakens and the blue one only if he cannot fall asleep naturally. Call me immeditely if anything changes in his physical status or mood. We can expect these headaches to continue for a while, and he’ll probably be irritable and contrary. Try not to take it to heart.” From the look the physician gave him, Arthur wondered how much Guinevere had told him of their trip.

“I think I might deserve some of that contrariness,” he mumbled.

“As well you might,” Gaius agreed, gathering up his things. Yes, he definitely knew. “Sleep well, sire, my lady.”

Mordred left with him, leaving Arthur alone with Guinevere and the sleeping Merlin. Guinevere kissed them both on the cheeks and patted Arthur’s arm. “Gaius is right. Merlin will forgive you when he is well. He knows you care.”

She bid him goodnight, and Arthur dropped onto the bed next to Merlin. He fumbled out of his armour and clothing, tossing it carelessly on the floor. Then he slipped under the covers and curled up along his love’s side.

How had he gone from hare-brained quests to search for flowers and tearing apart his kingdom to track down someone everyone believed to be dead to leaving the one person he couldn’t live without behind? Arthur wasn’t sure what had gone wrong along the way, but he was determined to fix it, no matter what it took.


End file.
